Vang Vieng and TV bars
An early morning walk through the quiet main streets of Vientiane brought us swiftly to the local bus station. 3 hours later we were in Vang Vieng, a riverside town which has well embraced the party-hard backpacking tourism industry and where one can find many a guest house, restaurant, TV bar, tour agency, internet cafe, massage parlour, pancake vendor - you name it.
The scene, however, was not quite to our taste as the debaucherous crowds make for noisy nights and profane days. The influence on the innocent and gentle nature of the local people is not something we think the tourism industry should be proud of. TV bars are common, playing back to back episodes of Friends to draw the young backpacker crowds! There were also "Merry Christmas!!" everywhere to be heard as locals souped up their stalls for the lucrative festivities. We stayed in great little bungalow next to the river.
The next day we joined a tour which took us kayaking down the Xong river. The scenery of river and karsts (sheer vertical limestone mountain peaks jutting out of the earth or water, depending on area) was beautiful. We hopped out to climb over a "mountain" and descend into a valley. Our guide was very pleased to take us to an animal farm en route where we could see live cows and water buffaloes :-) ! The whole group was, I am sure, very grateful for the privilege. We looped round the farm (our guide told us to "make like a circle") and headed back for the mountain. This time, however, we did not climb over, but walked through a long cave traversing right through the rock. This was great. We returned to our parked kayaks and enjoyed a Lao lunch which our other guide had prepared for us in our absence. The rest of our kayaking trip took us past an organic mulberry farm as well as another cave. We could not quite make out from the guide what the second was used for, but the group consensus was that it was used by genies.
The scene, however, was not quite to our taste as the debaucherous crowds make for noisy nights and profane days. The influence on the innocent and gentle nature of the local people is not something we think the tourism industry should be proud of. TV bars are common, playing back to back episodes of Friends to draw the young backpacker crowds! There were also "Merry Christmas!!" everywhere to be heard as locals souped up their stalls for the lucrative festivities. We stayed in great little bungalow next to the river.
The next day we joined a tour which took us kayaking down the Xong river. The scenery of river and karsts (sheer vertical limestone mountain peaks jutting out of the earth or water, depending on area) was beautiful. We hopped out to climb over a "mountain" and descend into a valley. Our guide was very pleased to take us to an animal farm en route where we could see live cows and water buffaloes :-) ! The whole group was, I am sure, very grateful for the privilege. We looped round the farm (our guide told us to "make like a circle") and headed back for the mountain. This time, however, we did not climb over, but walked through a long cave traversing right through the rock. This was great. We returned to our parked kayaks and enjoyed a Lao lunch which our other guide had prepared for us in our absence. The rest of our kayaking trip took us past an organic mulberry farm as well as another cave. We could not quite make out from the guide what the second was used for, but the group consensus was that it was used by genies.
Johan treated Janine to a Lao massage and a good coconut. We could just endure one more night and we were ready to leave the next morning.
Culture shock: this is one Janine just can't seem to get over - the chickens in this country are absolutely enormous, as big as turkeys, and very good looking too (for chickens that is - Johan). The cows on the other hand are really small and the baby cows not much larger than dogs!
Culture shock: this is one Janine just can't seem to get over - the chickens in this country are absolutely enormous, as big as turkeys, and very good looking too (for chickens that is - Johan). The cows on the other hand are really small and the baby cows not much larger than dogs!
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